Hair catching device for barber&#39;s chair



Jan. 19, 1960 A. PROVENZANO 2,921 ,626-

HAIR CATCHING DEVICE FOR BARBERS CHAIR Filed Feb. 21, 1958 IN VEN TOR. fl/e r2 Pr 0 venz 0/70 A FT ORNEYS.

HAIR CATCHING DEVICE FOR BARBERS CHAIR Albert Provenzano, Westerly, RI.

Application February 21, 1958, Serial No. 716,590

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-188) This invention relates to an attachment for a barbers chair for supporting an apron or the like employed for catching falling hair during the cutting of a customers hair.

It is usual in present day barber shop-practice to place an apron or the like over a customer so as to prevent hair from falling on the customers clothes during the cutting of his or her hair. There is some disadvantage in the above practice in that hair drops from the apron onto the floor and the apron upon being detached from the customer is shaken adjacent to the chair to free the apron of hair. This is not sanitary and further requires frequent sweeping of the floor. It has been already proposed that a hoop like open frame be pivotally supported on the back rest of thechair for swinging into position about the customer, an apron being supported on the frame and detachably secured thereto as by a snap fastening to form a tray like receptacle for catching falling hair. Such a device, however, has required separate mountings on the back rest of the chair and while preventing hair from falling on the customer and on the fioor during the hair cutting operation it did not obviate the necessity of shaking the apron free of hair after each use thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sup port for holding, a disposable apron in tray like form to surround the customer so as to catch falling hair during cutting of the customers hair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair catching attachment so constructed as to be removably received in the usual head rest socket of a barbers chair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hair catching attachment so constructed as to allow for adjustment horizontally and also as to height.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair catching attachment having a paper disposal hair catch apron.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair catching attachment having a paper disposal hair catching apron provided with a neck opening the marginal edges of which are reinforced for strength.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view of a hair catching attachment embodying my invention and in applied position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partially in section showing the attachment of Figure 1 is a position of nonuse at the rear of the back rest of the chair;

Figure 3 is a similar view and showing the attachment in the position of use thereof;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of the attachment showing the arrangement for pivotally mounting the apron supporting portion of the said attachment; and

nited States Patent 2,921,626 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 Figure is a plan view of the apron portion of the device.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, 10 designates generally a chair such as' used in a barber shop which has a seat portion 11 and a back 12. The back is provided with a usual head rest receiving socket 13 (see Figure 2) which is shown conventionally and provided with head rest post holding means, as by way of example, a spring pressed pin '14 normally projecting into the socket 13 and provided with an enlarged head 15 for I providing a handle to withdraw the pin from the socket.

The above described chair is intended to be representative of any of various barbers chairs.

According to the present embodiment of the invention shown, the chair catching attachment designated generally 16 comprises a generally flat bar or post 17 which is rectangular in cross-section and adapted to be removably received in the socket 13. The post 17 is provided on one side with a plurality of indentations 18 any of which may be positioned in registry with pin 14 to be engaged thereby for detachably holding the post 17 in adjusted position. Thus it will be seen the post 16 may be moved up and down as desired to meet the requirements of practice.

The upper portion 19 of post 17 is rearwardly inclined at approximately 45 and terminates in a mounting eye or bearing portion 20. An open circular metal rim or frame 21 is provided with a pair of pierced mounting lugs 22 which project outwardly from the frame parallel to each other and at substantially right angles to a tangent of the frame at the junction of the lugs with the said frame. The bearing portion 20 is received in the space between the lugs 22 and a pivot pin 23 is inserted through the openings in the lugs and bearing 20 so as to swingably mount the frame 21 on the post 17. The pin 23 is provided with an eye or open head 24 to which is attached a flexible member such as a link chain 25, the other end of which is attached to the frame 21 as by means of an eye 26 welded or otherwise secured to said frame at an appropriate position thereon. Thus the pin will be held against loss or misplacement upon dismantling of the frame from the post 17 should such become desirable for storage purpose as in transporting to the place of use.

It will be seen in Figure 2, the back rest 12 is inclined rearwardly which is customary in a barbers chair. It is intended when the attachment 16 is not in use for the frame 21 to be suspended at the rear of the back rest and generally parallel thereto. To this end a spring latch 27 having a catch portion 28 at the free end thereof is secured at the other end thereof to the post 17 as by means of rivet fastenings 29. The catch portion 28 is at a position in the path of swing of frame 21 to be engaged thereby and resiliently held at the position shown in Figure 2. When the attachment is to be used, the frame is swung from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 to extend forwardly above the seat portions 11, the spring latch 27 yielding to allow disengagement with the frame. It is desirable to have the frame 21 extend generally horizontal and since the inclination of the back rest 12 in different chairs may vary, adjusting means indicated generally 30 is provided.

The means 30 comprises a plate 31 which is hingedly secured to post 17 as at 31' adjacent the junction thereof with the inclined portion 19 and extends therefrom toward the bearing 20 at a position to be engaged by the frame 21. A threaded member 32 having an enlarged head 33 is threaded through plate 31 to engage the inclined portion 19. It will be apparent that since plate 31 can swing about pivot 31', rotating member 32 in one or the other direction will cause plate 31 to move toward or away from portion 19. Clockwise rotation will move frame 21 in an upward direction about pivot pin 23. Turning member 32 in the other direction will allow plate 31 to be moved toward the portion 19 and allow frame 21 to swing in the other direction. Thus the frame 21 may be adjusted to be held extended horizontally above the seat portion 11 of the chairs at any inclination of the back rest 12.

The apron 34 (see'Figure is cut to a shape to conform to the general contour of the frame 21 and to a size to allow for the marginal edge to depend over the edge of the frame. The apron is provided with a neck opening 35 extending inwardly from one edge thereof. Since the apron is to be used but once and then dispensed with, the same may be made of a relatively inexpensive paper, for example, a tissue and the marginal edge about the neck opening 36 may be treated as by coating with a synthetic plastic so as to strengthen the same sulficiently to allow the manipulation of the apron when placing and securing about the neck of the customer.

When it is desired to employ the attachment, the head rest (not shown) of the chair is removed from the socket 13 and the post 17 inserted therein in adjusted position, the adjustment for holding the frame 21 horizontal having been previously made for the particular chair with which it is to be used. Upon the customer being seated, the frame 21 is swung to surround the customer. The post may now be raised about the shoulders of the customer. The apron 34 may now be positioned over the frame 21 to rest thereon and the neck opening 35 placed about the customers neck and the marginal edges about the opening positioned in lapped engagement and secured as by means of pins or other fastenings. The apron may be adjusted on the frame and slightly pushed inwardly so as to be in tray like form with the marginal edges overhanging the frame (see Figure 1) and held to the frame by suitable fastening clips 37. In the present instance, the clips 37 are shown as being ordinary spring clothes pins which have been found satisfactory in use.

It will be apparent that the falling hair during the hair cutting operation will drop on the apron and be held thereon. Upon completion of the hair cut, the barber merely unfastens the apron at the neck opening, removes the clips 37 and then may gather the apron to enclose the hair therein and dispose of the same into a receptacle which may be at a convenient location near the chair.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present hair catching device protectslthe clothing of the customer and eliminates the scattering of hair in the usual barber shop practice of shaking the usual aprons to dislodge hair therefrom on to the floor and the subsequent operation of sweeping it up from the floor. Further, it will be apparent that I have provided an attachment which is interchangeable with the usual head rest of the chair. Thus avoiding additional structure for securing the attachment to the chair.

I have described and shown the invention embodied in a so-called barber chair. It is, however, contemplated the invention may be adapted for use with beauticians chairs.

I claim:

1. A hair catching attachment for a barbers chair comprising a post adapted to be secured to the chair, an encircling, frame provided with a pair of ears projecting outwardly of the frame and pivoted to said post, for swinging movement of said frame from a substantially vertical position at the rear of said chair to a substantially horizontal position over said chair and abovethe seat thereof, a stop hinged to said post and in a position to be engaged by said frame when over said chair, and an adjustable threaded member carried by said stop and engaging said post for adjusting the position of the stop and in turn the angular position of the frame about its pivot to the post, and a disposable cover resting upon said frame having a neck opening for fitting about the neck of the occupant of the chair and means to detachably secure said cover to the frame.

2. A hair catching attachment as in claim 1 wherein a resilient locking arm attached to said post holds the frame in its position at the rear of said chair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,281,832 Cravotta -a May 5, 1942 2,375,643 Germanotta May 8, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,535 France Jan. 21, 1918 

